Express & Star

GALLERY: Festive fun as crowds celebrate Christmas lights switch on

Merry Christmas everyone! Crowds have turned out to herald the festive season across the Black Country.

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Helping to switch on the Christmas lights, at Queen Square, Wolverhampton, Debbie McGee, Sooty and Richard Cadell

The people of Wolverhampton got into the Christmas spirit as a host of famous faces to turn on this year's Christmas lights.

Some of the cast of this year's panto at the Grand Theatre, including Debbie McGee and Richard Cadell and Sooty, were on hand to bring Christmas to the city on Saturday.

Legendary Wolverhampton-born cyclist Hugh Porter also helped to turn the lights on and was joined by fundraising hero, Louis Johnson, aged 12, as well as the Mayor and Mayoress of the city, with Dicky Dodd presenting.

PICTURES from Wolverhampton's lights switch on

The lights are on in Wolverhampton
The lights are on in Wolverhampton
Helping to switch on the Christmas lights, at Queen Square, Wolverhampton, Debbie McGee, Sooty and Richard Cadell
Mayoress of Wolverhampton Elaine Hadley-Howel, Mayor of Wolverhampton councillor Phil Page, Sooty, Richard Cadell Debbie McGee, Miss Black Country Evie Azzopardi, Hugh Porter, and Santa
Jaimie Brown, of Wolverhampton, with Joanne Stokes, Logan Stokes, 4, and Mark Stokes
Jason Hickman, 6, of Wolverhampton
Macaulay Richards, 7, with mother Melissa Poulton, of Wolverhampton..
Helping to switch on the Christmas lights, at Queen Square, Wolverhampton - anta, Hugh Porter, mayor of Wolverhampton councillor Phil Page, Debbie McGee, Sooty, Richard Cadell, mayoress of Wolverhampton Elaine Hadley-Howell, Miss Black Country Evie Azzopardi, Dicky Dodd and Louis Johnson
Crowds turn out in Wolverhampton

Debbie McGee said: "I came up especially to switch the lights on and I've had the most fantastic time, everyone here is so friendly, I'm so excited about this panto, it will be so good.

"It's been lovely being out here in the town with all the people and so many lovely children, I've had the best time and I'm ready to party.

"It's my first time in Wolverhampton city centre for a long time and I've never been here at Christmas, it looks so beautiful with all the lights on.

"Turning the lights on was really great, having everyone on stage added to the atmosphere, I've switched on quite a few Christmas lights on in different towns, but this one had a big party feel and everyone was joining in, it was great to not be up there alone and to have all those lovely people with me."

WATCH: Joy at Christmas lights switch on

Richard Cadell said: "It's amazing, I was in the doctor's recently and he said my blood pressure was up and I said it's because I'm just really excited to get back to Wolverhampton, my heart was racing.

"I've been excited like a big kid.

"It was great to turn the lights on, the atmosphere was fantastic, it's known in the business that Wolverhampton people are really up for this kind of stuff, the panto here is legendary with the theatre and the audience.

"I had a ball up there, I loved every second of it, it's amazing to be around these passionate people - I don't have long to learn some of the Wolverhampton expressions, I'll have to try and work some of them into the act."

Hugh Porter said: "It's fantastic and a great honour for me, I'm really proud to be from Wolverhampton, I always try to raise money for charities and to come out here and see this great turnout is wonderful.

"It makes you realise how near to Christmas we are.

"I'm truly honoured to think that I've been asked to be part of the celebrity gathering on stage to help press the button and welcome Christmas to the city."

Louis Johnson said: "It was great, I really enjoyed it, I was very excited, it was awesome.

"At the start I was a little bit nervous but I once I was up there I was fine.

"I'm very thankful to be asked to do this, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it's amazing, I'll remember this for a long time.

"It was a surprise to be dancing with Debbie McGee, I wasn't expecting it."

The lights switch on in Tettenhall

Across the region, a number of Christmas lights were also turned on with Bridgnorth and Tettenhall shining on Friday and the lights at Bantock Park shining last night.

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Dudley after this weekend saw the town's annual lights switch-on event.

Hundreds of revellers turned out for the festive event which took place in the town's Market Place on Saturday.

PICTURES from Dudley's event

The mayor of Dudley, Councillor Alan Taylor and Mayoress Winifred, with Radio WM presenter Caroline Martin and Competition winner Malachy Sheehan aged 4 with mother Debbie at the switch on of Dudley's Christmas lights.
The Dudley Christmas lights switch on
Competition winner 4-year-old Malachy Sheehan aged 4 pictured with mother Debbie as he switches on Dudley's Christmas lights

The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Alan Taylor, was joined on stage by BBC WM's Caroline Martin, Father Christmas, pantomime dames and competition winner four-year-old Malachy Fahy.

Despite a slight technical hitch, Dudley was eventually lit up to the sound of Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas – marking the offical start to the town's festivities.

Malachy's mother, Debbie Sheehan, said: "We entered the council's Facebook competition to find where the elves Eric and Erica were in Dudley. We just thought we would have a go when we found them in Dudley Library.

"Malachy has been so excited. I think he was a little bit shocked by the whole turn-out and the event but he really enjoyed himself helping switch on the lights.

"It was really something special and a bit different for him. He's really excited for Christmas."

Councillor Taylor added: "It has been a really good event and it was a great turn-out by the people of Dudley. It went really well and the little boy Malachy really enjoyed himself up on stage.

"It was a pleasure to see the town light up for Christmas, I’m delighted so many people came and there was a lovely festive atmosphere in the air. The crowd seemed to really enjoy the entertainment beforehand.

"Dudley is ready for Christmas – the light switch-on event is the start of the run-up to Christmas in the town."

The entire event ran between 2pm and 5pm and included children's fairground rides, street food, Father Christmas on his sleigh from Tipton Community Association, craft market and live entertainment on stage from Codalove, JJ dance group from Rowley Regis and Britain’s Got Talent star Rosie O’Sullivan.

Visitors to the Black Country Living Museum this festive season will be able to experience the sounds and smells of a Victorian Christmas.

The popular attraction has launched Christmas through Time which will run until December 24.

PICTURES: Black Country Living Museum at Christmas

In the Tilted cottage Hazel Worthington makes Pomanders
Guide Claire Taylor warms herself on the bridge
Demonstrator Moyah Rzym gets help stirring the Christmas pud
Santa is found by sisters, left, Evie and Iris Vincent

There will be seven 'sound points' around the museum, where visitors will hear snippets of conversations from the past in relation to Christmas.

A spokesman for the Black Country Museum said: "In our 1940s house they will hear a family agonise over what to cook over dinner when the rations are so low – they settle on murkey, or ‘mock turkey’ as it’s known.

"In our Victorian back-to-back, in contrast, they will hear a family with a young baby desperately trying to make ends meet in order to afford Christmas dinner.

"In another, they will step into a the flat of well off family in the 1930s who are listening to the King’s speech and discussing the abdication crisis of December 1936 while preparing Christmas dinner."

There will also be a number of smell points around the site, including the smell of vegetables cooking in the kitchen and freshly baked Christmas pudding.